Paralegal Imogen Fleur joined CooperBurnett at the beginning of 2022 and is currently based within our Corporate and Commercial team. As she embarks on her career in law and her first full-time role, Senior Paralegal Carla Loveday has been tasked with mentoring her.
Imogen completed her Legal Practice Course (LPC)/Master of Laws (LLM) at BPP Cambridge in September 2021, having graduated from the University in Essex with a degree in law. During her time at university, she worked part-time at Porsche.
“My experience at Porsche means I am trained to upholding professional standards at all times and appreciate the need for advanced organisational skills, whilst working under pressure and understanding the importance of building rapport with clients,” says Imogen. “I met a lot of business owners while at Porsche. Buying a Porsche is so often a life goal, so I heard lots of inspiring stories.”
Now sitting in our Corporate and Commercial team, Imogen says: “I am really enjoying working closely with and supporting different businesses. It’s an area of law which involves lots of problem solving, negotiating and an eye for detail and I like that.”
Imogen set her heart on being a lawyer when she was 16.
“When I was younger, I saw first-hand what a difference a good lawyer can make to a difficult situation,” she explains. “Since then, I have dedicated my education and life to reach my goal in becoming a solicitor.”
Imogen moved to Kent in 2021 and started to research which career opportunities existed locally.
“I wasn’t familiar with the Tunbridge Wells area and it was actually my landlady, a lawyer herself, who told me about CooperBurnett’s excellent reputation,” she explains. “I followed this up with my own research and was particularly attracted by the longevity of many of the team members here. That shows a lot about how the firm treats their employees.”
She adds: “In a short time, I already feel like part of the CooperBurnett family. Everyone has been so welcoming and friendly. I realise that I’ve got a lot to learn but have the support of some of the best lawyers – I’m in good hands.”
Imogen adds that she feels very lucky to have ‘such a good mentor’ in Carla.
“She’s been absolutely great since day one,” Imogen explains. “Carla has had so much experience throughout her career and is subsequently a fantastic person to learn from.”
Carla adds that it’s a real privilege to be ‘walking the journey with Imogen’.
“It’s much more than just making sure Imogen has the correct legal skills, it’s about helping her to discover what sort of lawyer she is,” Carla explains. “Imogen has lots of transferable skills and tools, so we are finding out what those are and making the best use of them. In addition, I’m helping with more practical questions, as this is her first full-time office-based job. Imogen already has my admiration for the incredible determination, motivation and resilience she showed to complete her LPC completely from home due to the pandemic.”
Adds Imogen: “I just put my head down and take one step at a time.”
Carla has been mentoring people since 1999, when she was an Assistant Manager in the Oasis manager in Knightsbridge, tasked with recruitment, induction, training and development.
“I’ve always believed that my ceiling is somebody else’s springboard,” says Carla. “I thrive on equipping, signposting and empowering people. It’s only been here a short while but Imogen is already evolving and that means what she needs from me is also changing. Having said that, Imogen is also gaining a lot from other people in the firm too – it takes a team to build a lawyer.”
When she’s not at work, Imogen says she’s a ‘big foodie’, who loves cooking and exploring different cuisines.
